Browsed by
Category: Living with Dementia

People with dementia speak to Senate Standing Committee

People with dementia speak to Senate Standing Committee

In February 2016, the Canadian Senate asked that the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology study the issue of dementia in our society and to provide a final report in January 2017. On May 18, Mary Beth Wighton and the other members of the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) presented to the committee. View the presentation on SenVu or read her remarks:       Good afternoon, Thank you for inviting us to appear before you this afternoon.  It’s…

Read More Read More

Finding Your Way® – Living Safely in the Community

Finding Your Way® – Living Safely in the Community

The Alzheimer Society of Ontario hosted its second annual Finding Your Way®  Provincial Forum on Thursday March 10th. Close to 100 people came together to see how we all can help people with dementia live safely in the community. Many partnering organizations were represented – supportive housing providers, retirement home staff as well as paramedics and other first responders. The Alzheimer Society was happy to see such an interest from our partners. The Hon. Mario Sergio, Minister Responsible for Seniors…

Read More Read More

Claiming Full Citizenship

Claiming Full Citizenship

The Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship at the University of British Columbia, together with a variety of partners, was pleased to host “Claiming Full Citizenship: an international conference on self-determination, personalization and individualized funding”, in Vancouver, BC October 15 – 17, 2015. Fifteen years after the landmark 2000 Seattle Conference on Self Determination and Individualized Funding, the desire for people living with dementia, intellectual, cognitive and physical disabilities to claim full citizenship and seek clarity on what that requires, remains. …

Read More Read More

Introducing the 2016 Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Community Representatives

Introducing the 2016 Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP) Community Representatives

This year the Alzheimer Society celebrates 28 years of funding research through the Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP). The peer review panel meetings were held in February 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, and included the role of Community Representatives. Community Representatives are members of the general public who are not currently involved with research who are given the opportunity to comment on the intent, purpose and on the clarity of the language used within the lay summaries of research applications that are received by the Society. Their involvement in peer review serves as a mechanism for public accountability by providing feedback on the ASRP peer review process.

A disease does not define me: opening doors to possibilities

A disease does not define me: opening doors to possibilities

My family is no stranger to Alzheimer’s disease. I cannot remember a time in my childhood when elders in my life were not living with dementia. We did not question these losses because this was our “normal.” We now know that evolving memory changes, with subsequent losses, are not a normal outcome of aging. One difficulty with mom’s diagnosis of dementia was that each sibling saw her changes in a different way, and chose to either accept or refute the…

Read More Read More

Alzheimer’s silver lining

Alzheimer’s silver lining

They say growing old is not for sissies, well Alzheimer’s disease is definitely not for sissies. As my lovely mother Anne loves to say, ‘every cloud has a silver lining.’ So I search for the silver lining in my mother’s disease.  Sometimes I have to think and look really hard, but I see it. First, some background and mea culpa. I often find myself talking about my mom in the past tense even while she’s with me. “She had a…

Read More Read More

Minds in Motion
Minds in Motion® boosts brain health

Minds in Motion® boosts brain health

At the Alzheimer Society of London-Middlesex we have many social recreation programs such as art, gardening, cooking, knitting, and scrapbooking. But before Minds in Motion®, we did not have one that focused on group exercise and healthy living. This has been a great addition. Since we started Minds in Motion, people are seeing how exercise makes a huge difference for people with dementia. Just today I received a call from a client interested in the program. I had asked her…

Read More Read More

What is Aphasia?

What is Aphasia?

Imagine trying to tell someone where you are hurt or how you feel, but you can’t find the words or phrases to get across what you are trying to say. How would this impact your relationships with friends and family and all the other aspects of life where communication is essential? This condition – when someone knows what he or she wants to say but cannot express it – is called aphasia. Aphasia is most often the result of stroke…

Read More Read More

This election, support a National Dementia Strategy

This election, support a National Dementia Strategy

On October 19, 2015 the Canadian federal election will be held. And we want to reaffirm that every vote matters. On May 6 of this year, our chance for a national dementia strategy becoming enshrined into Canadian law through MP Claude Gravelle’s private member’s bill C-356 was sadly defeated 140-139. Yes, by one vote. When we hear about people who think votes don’t matter it’s disheartening, because regardless of context, every vote matters. Right now, each one of us gets…

Read More Read More

Design tips for a dementia-friendly home

Design tips for a dementia-friendly home

The DSDC International Dementia Conference in Birmingham England this year will be a great place to share ideas, and carers and people with dementia are welcome. The Alzheimer Society of Canada’s Mary Schulz is on the programme and we look forward to hearing from friends from around the world. At the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), we do what we can to help families by providing information about what works and makes a difference. There is a lot that can…

Read More Read More